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Apr 23, 2023 — Jupiter Mountain is a peak located south of Green Valley CA within the Sierra Pelona Mountains that overlooks the Bouquet Reservoir. I didn't find it to be a particularly enthralling hike since it's mostly on a dirt road, but the views are great. The peak is positioned in the center of the surrounding mountains, including the bald Grass Mountain to the north, so the hemmed-in feeling was fun. It's paired well with Juno Peak, a less substantial peak to the west.
I set out from a wide pull-off serving as a trailhead off Spunky Canyon Road (what a fun road name), choosing to head up to Jupiter Mountain first. Starting from within a cute pine grove, I located the start of the ascent road, which is initially absurdly eroded, only a thin trail exists for hiking to avoid the deep crevasses. The trail quickly steepens as it ascends Jupiter Mountain's east ridge. My shoes, at the tail end of their life and without any traction, were not ideal for this very steep road. Bouqet Canyon soon came into view behind me, as did the summit of Jupiter Mountain. The majority of the hike was steep, with one short reprieve. I was impressed by the scenery at the summit, which was complete with a little bench.
Juno Peak was next. The dirt road continued along the crest, first descending with similar steepness to my ascent. The hike then calmed down a bit as it passed an unmarked trail I'd be using to return later on. The road ascended a small hump along the way that added a bit of vertical gain before making the push to the second summit. Juno Peak looked pretty cool ahead with the winding ridgeline road twisting up to its summit. Fortunately the road was less steep to reach Juno Peak, and the views were similar on this smaller peak.
I returned to the saddle of Jupiter Mountain and Juno Peak and took the well-carved trail that descended pleasantly along the northern slope of Jupiter Mountain, ultimately leading back to the trailhead. The trail was less interesting since brush blocked the views and the Bouquet Reservoir was only visible from the opposite slope. However, taking this trail was a great way to avoid going back up and over Jupiter Mountain.
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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
